Originally Posted by
Route 66
Putting NYC in first place confuses me. I've never ridden a bike in New York City, but I been there on vacation several times and love the place. Having said that, I'd be a little nervous to ride a bicycle there with all those crazy cab drivers everywhere.
I'm not bashing NYC because as I've said, I really like it there. I just don't get how it can be called the most bicycle friendly of any city in US.
When you consider the Greenway routes & Park's infrastructure it makes sense...You can almost circumnavigate Manhattan...The East Side still needs work getting around the UN area, but the West Side is a clear shot from Dyckman to The Battery. Brooklyn is littered with bikeway but it isn't roadie territory because of the many lights...I've mentioned in other posts here as well that starting in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx is 50 miles of dedicated
(The exception being a small gap where you have to ride the WIDE shoulder on RT 100 for 3~ miles) paved bike path heading North out of the Bronx through Westchester and ending in Carmel NY.
The street riding can be hairy regardless of the bike lane demarcations. If anything pedestrians are moving hazards as well. People constantly and aimlessly step into the bike lanes...Nevertheless there are relatively safe ways to get across town and too/from the major parks, etc..